Tiruchi Siva seeks Rajya Sabha suspension to debate Mekedatu reservoir

On 3 August 2026, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva moved a notice under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha, asking the Chairman to suspend regular business so the House can discuss the proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir on the Cauvery River. The notice requests the suspension of Rules 15, 23 and 51 and calls for a debate on the project's impact on Tamil Nadu and the possible constitution of a tribunal.

The move highlights escalating tensions in the long‑standing Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka, which proposes the reservoir, and Tamil Nadu, which opposes it over concerns that downstream water flow will be reduced. The parliamentary request underscores the political pressure to resolve the inter‑state conflict through legislative and possibly judicial mechanisms.